Who am I, where am I, and what the heck am I doing wrong?

[tommag]

I finally tried to cast my first bullets and had some problems. I got the Lyman kit with the mini mag pot and a NEI mold with two different 6.5 cavities. My shop is cold (35 degrees) and I could only get my melt up to 700 degrees. The temp fell after I started casting to about 650. I finally got my mold hot enough to get frosted bullets, but still had wrinkles. They had small flanges at the circumference of the base, so I tightened the sprue cutter until it no longer swung freely, still got flanges. :confused: I'm using ww with about 4% tin added and a little shot as well.
This is my first attempt at rifle bullets, but while casting .72 round ball with pb, I didn't have the wrinkling problems with a lyman mold.
My main interest in casting is the idea self sufficiency (after the apocalypse, ha ha) I doubt I'll ever shoot enough to recoup the costs of all this stuff, but I wanted to try it.

[David R]

Tommag,

Welcome to the casting world. It can be addictive. Some say I am obsessed.

I think your mold needs a good cleaning.

I clean mine with Shop Sove by Wellworth or Shopkleen by castile. You can also use Brake Cleaner and a toothbrush. I clean mine when new, then pour a few, clean again while warm, then pour a few then smoke the cavities with a butane lighter. Works for me every time.

I think if the boolits are frosted then you do have enough heat.

David

[buck1]

You may want to clean your mold well., and check for a lead smear on the top of the blocks and under the sprue plate. FWIW ....Buck

[Bullshop]

Tommag
Dont tighten that sprue plat too much. It should be able to swing of its own weight. Sinch it down too tight and you can quickly and easily damage a hot aluminum mold. Them NEI molds are too nice to go and do that to one. Now promis ya will so I can relax and help you.
The fins at the boolit base are the free flowing metal trying to tell ya something. It is flowing into the vent lines at the top of the blocks. Eather your too hot, or too much pour pressure, or both and that 4% added tin is on the rich side and will compound the situation. The fins should mean good fill out so the wrinckles are likely from contamination so you will probably have to clean it.
I scrub them with Dawn dish soap and a tooth brush, then blow the water off with a compresser. The Dawn gets them so clean if I dont blow the water off by the time they air dry the iron molds have rust.
I too have some NEI molds that when they are working good give the small fins from the top vents, dont worry no problem. They rub off when you seat a check.
So try to make some adjustments to temp, and pour pressure, and you can easily cut the tin by half and still have more than plenty. I bet if you cast at the same temp with straight WW the fins would disapear. Give that mold a good cleaning, please loosen the sprue plate, and use some bull plate between plate and blocks. OK ? Now go be a happy caster.
BIC/BS

[tommag]

I got to thinking, if the melt is too hot and the thermometer only reads about 700, maybe it is off. I got it from Brownells, but I wouldn't have a clue what to calibrate it against except for maybe one of those lazer thermometers they sell at Napa? What is a proper lube for the sprue plate until I can order something, I heard somewhere that graphite is good, is that true?

[keeper89]

Tommag--go to napa or any large auto parts place and try to get yourself a can of dgf spray (dry graphite film). Runs about seven or eight bucks. Just spray a little on the underside of the sprue plate from time to time. Works well for me...........and btw, welcome to the ranks of the addicted! :veryconfu

[1Shirt]

Yep, clean your mold like the previous threads said. If you are getting wrinkled frosted boolits, you have some contamination to eliminate. Casting in a 35 degree shop can't be a good deal. Get yourself a space heater of some kind that will get you up to a level of comfort. Good luck!
1Shirt :coffeecom

[anachronism]

Another point, did you pre-heat your mould before casting? Wrinkles are a sure sign of a cold mould. If the mould is at a workable temperature, but the alloy is cold, then your bullets will be rounded where they shouldn't be. As for your sprueplate, it should swing freely under it's own weight, as mentioned above, a little resistance is okay too, but not very much, and it should only be adjusted when the mould is at casting temperature. If you adjust you sprue plate when the mould is cold, your clearances will likely change when the mould is hot.